Tradeoffs for climate success

Many, most?, all? of the environmental groups in Minnesota are busy opposing a number of projects such as Enbridge's Line 3 and the proposed fracked gas NTEC plant. I consider opposition to each of those projects to come under the heading of “Keep It In The  Ground” actions consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's reports that tell US that

Unless there are immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to 1.5°C will be beyond reach.

What the IPCC report fails to do is identify the actions needed to produce immediate, rapid, large-scale reductions in emissions. Presumably, under a supposed climate champion like Governor Walz, we could find a list of proposed actions and milestones that would get Minnesota back on track to meet the goals for emission reduction contained in 2007 legislation. After all, the Governor appointed a Climate Change Subcabinet to achieve that objective. Unfortunately, the Subcabinet’s first report to the Governor, back in December 2020, was the proverbial “all hat and no horse.” The reports lists activities of the subcabinet agencies and identifies actions and processes WITH NO MILESTONES OR  TARGETS TO SPEAK OF.

Climate Change 2021 The Physical Science Basis

The state of Minnesota is doing about as well addressing climate change as the country is withdrawing from Afghanistan. Perhaps the folks who planned the Afghanistan withdrawal are the same ones that have identified the country’s milestones and targets for meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement targets. Let me know if you locate a copy of our country’s climate change plan online. I’ve not been successful at finding that plan despite repeated searches. Perhaps my key words are incorrect.

The reason I’m ranting  about this today is because I believe that we’ll never get where we need to go if all we do is stop projects and #KeepItInTheGround. I’ve long been a believer that what isn’t measured isn’t managed, and even some of what is measured may not be managed. Perhaps more importantly, we need a twofold track so we can be seen completing necessary projects, attaining goals and milestones that clearly indicate we’re making progress and give US projects we can cheer and support. We have little, if any, of the latter as this is being written.

It can be done. The World Resources Institute makes this assertion:

To meet the Paris Agreement’s goals, the world must reach net-zero emissions by mid-century. To help get there, WRI provides decision-makers with a range of tools and guidelines to track and strengthen their climate actions.  

• Climate Watch promotes transparency and accountability by providing governments with credible and consistent data on national emissions and future climate commitments, as well as enabling countries to analyze and compare targets to enhance their own efforts to combat climate change. 
• Greenhouse Gas Protocol provides accountability standards, tools, guidance frameworks and online training to help corporations, cities and others measure and reduce emissions.
• Through partnerships like the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT), we integrate guidance, capacity-building and knowledge sharing in tools to help countries assess the impacts of their policies and actions. 
• The “State of Climate Action” report details the latest research and data to show how much nations must accelerate climate action across sectors to come to grips with the climate crisis. 

Perhaps it’s time for Governor Walz and President Biden to contact WRI, or else promote more and better accountability among the leaders in their individual administrations. We, and our descendants, deserve no less. We can’t afford to let meeting climate goals become another Afghanistan or Bay of Pigs. Failure is not an option.

Truth Serum

By Naomi Shihab Nye

We made it from the ground-up corn in the old back pasture.

Pinched a scent of night jasmine billowing off the fence,   

popped it right in.

That frog song wanting nothing but echo?   

We used that.

Stirred it widely. Noticed the clouds while stirring.

Called upon our ancient great aunts and their long slow eyes   

of summer. Dropped in their names.   

Added a mint leaf now and then   

to hearten the broth. Added a note of cheer and worry.   

Orange butterfly between the claps of thunder?   

Perfect. And once we had it,

had smelled and tasted the fragrant syrup,   

placing the pan on a back burner for keeping,   

the sorrow lifted in small ways.

We boiled down the lies in another pan till they disappeared.

We washed that pan.

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